The Kidnapper
by Stars and Stripes
Summary: Bella goes to Jacob's house for one afternoon, but when Jacob's asleep, something unexpected happens. Can the Cullens work together to figure it out? Takes place mid-eclipse, before Bella becomes a vampire.
1. Chapter 1

BPOV

Edward smiled at me from the driver's seat of my beat up truck. He had one hand gently guiding the steering wheel, and the other tightly locked in mine. I smiled back, involuntarily. I couldn't resist.

"Promise me you'll call when you're done?" Edward pleaded.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yes, I'll call you." I flashed his tiny phone in his direction.

"Thank you," Edward said, pushing my hair away from my forehead and leaning down to kiss me. His heavenly scent sent my head spinning. "I love you. Have fun."

"I love you, too," I replied. "And thanks." I looked out the windshield and noticed we had already arrived at the border where I was supposed to meet Jacob. I unwillingly let go of his hand and clumsily climbed out of the passenger seat. Once I shut the door, I waved goodbye with another smile, and jogged eagerly to where Jacob was leaning cooly on the Rabbit.

"Hey, Bells!" he greeted me, unfolding his arms from across his chest.

"Hey, Jake!" I said. "So, what do you have in store for me today?" I joked.

"I've decided, after much consideration, that I'm going to torture you at my house for tonight," he teased back. As my eyes adjusted to the dark, I noticed the bags under his eyes. When was the last time he slept?

"Darn!" I said in mock disappiontment. "I was hoping to do something fun, but I understand that the big, bad wolf needs his sleep." I smiled at him.

"I guess you noticed," he said.

"Yeah, but I don't mind," I assured him. "Your place is fine. Even if you are sleeping."

He smiled back at me, and swiftly turned to the passenger door. He politely held it open for me, and I climbed in. He was inside the driver's seat before I could grab my seatbelt. Without another word, Jacob turned the car around, and sped down the dark road. He concentrated hard on whatever he could manage to see through the windsheild, as I watched his face. It was hard to read. He seemed to be trying to hide something, and it was working.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

He turned to look at me, smiling at my curiousity. "Do you remember Leah Clearwater?" I nodded, remembering the awful story that Jacob told me that day on First Beach. "She's a werewolf." He watched the shock change my face instanteously. He gave me a satisfied smile.

"Oh, my god! Since when?" I gasped.

"About a week ago," he replied. "Actually, the pack has grown a lot since I've seen you last. Seth Clearwater's changed, too."

I didn't listen to the second part of his statement. I was still thinking about Leah. "Poor girl," I whispered to myself.

Jacob rolled his eyes at me, returning his focus to the road. "You might feel sorry for her, but all her problems are sort of annoying," he admitted. I stared at him with my mouth hanging open.

"Jacob!" I shouted, hitting him on the shoulder. It felt like I punched a rock.

"What?" He chuckled at my anger. "She's always thinking about it, and is constantly confused, and well, it gets annoying after awhile." He shrugged.

"The girl's going through a tough time, and you think it's annoying?" I was dumbfounded. Although I barely knew her, I was awfully defensive. "It's not her fault everyone else is listening in. It's not like she's intentionally trying to torture you."

Jacob laughed, and I did too. He cut the engine, and I turned to see us in the garage. I unbuckled my seatbelt and hopped out. He was at my side immediately. He lead me into the house, and into the so called living room. He plopped quietly on the sofa, and reached for the remote. He turned on a basketball game, and tried to concentrate on it. I watched him instead of the game. I giggled quietly when I saw him fighting his eyelids to stay open. In the end, he lost and drifted silently to sleep.

I didn't wake him; he seemed like he needed his sleep. I leaned my head against the arm of the couch and closed my eyes. I wasn't tired but I decided to use this time to think. As soon as my eyes shut, images of Leah flashed through my mind. _That poor girl, _I thought. _She must be so confused and hurt. _

My thoughts slowly turned into dreams, and I saw Sam Uley standing tall above small, helpless Leah. Her face was hurt and moist with fresh tears. His hands gripped her shoulders, shaking her. He was trying to get her attention, but she didn't want to listen to him. She turned her head away from him. She didn't want to look at his face. He pulled away and let go of her tiny frame. He stepped back a few feet, and she feel to her knees, sobbing into her hands. He phased into the black wolf he was, and she looked up into his deep, black eyes. She mouthed, 'How could you?' but he only stared back into her eyes and disappeared into the thick, green forest. She sobbed harder, collapsing onto the underbrush and curling into a ball on the forest floor, silently crying to herself.

When I woke, the right side of my face was wet and so was the arm rest. I rubbed the tears from my blurred eyes, and looked at the clock hanging on the wall. I was only out for a half hour, and Jacob was still fast asleep. His deep snoring must be what woke me up.

I got up to go to the bathroom, when I sensed a sweet smell in the air. It reminded me of Edward. The smell of his sweet breath was very similar to the smell that lingered here, but I was sure this wasn't him. My breath caught in my throat when I realized what must be going on. There was a vampire in Jacob Black's house. One that I didn't recognize, and I most likely didn't want to meet.


	2. Chapter 2

_How had Jacob not woken to the smell? I thought that smell was putrid to him_, I thought. _Maybe I'm just imagining things_, I decided, but before I could reach the end of the hall, an icy hand grabbed my shoulder.

I gasped, but another hand covered my mouth from behind me. "Shh, wouldn't want to wake your dog over there," a velvety voice teased in my ear. My breathing was uneven, and all I wanted to do was scream.

He gently reached into my jeans pocket and withdrew the Edward's tiny, silver phone. He raised it in front of me and said, "You won't be needing this." Between two of his fingers, he snapped it in half and dropped the remains in his coat pocket. I whimpered under his unbreakable grip. He laughed to himself and said, "It's so convinent that you could show up at Jacob's house today. Now precious, little Alice won't ever see this coming." He let go of my shoulder and reached into his other pocket, pulling out a roll of duck tape. He swiftly taped my mouth shut and my hands together behind my back. He turned me around to face him. I took in his beautiful features and pale skin. His eyes were a deep red, and his hair was a curly, dark brown. He just smiled down at me and closed his eyes for a brief moment.

"Mmm, you smell absolutely . . . delectable," he cooed. I wanted him to get in over with right then and there. I hoped he wasn't the kind that "played with their food" so to speak.

I shut my eyes, ready to take in the unbearable pain, but it didn't come. He stepped back and laughed. "You don't think I'm going to eat you, do you?" he asked. I didn't answer. He laughed again.

From the living room, I heard Jacob stir in his sleep. The vampire's smile vanished and he reached into his pocket once more. He pulled out an envelope with cursive writing across the front. Before he was able to slide it underneath the thin rug, I noticed it said 'Edward' in the thin, black letters. _Why would he be leaving something for Edward? _

I stood motionless in the center of the hallway, staring at the envelope that was intentionally sticking out from under Billy's oriental rug. I imagined not being able to see my beautiful angel again. Never kissing him again, never hearing his heavenly voice, and never seeing his perfect smile. Silent tears trickled down my face.

He turned me around and pushed me through the back door of the Black's house. It was cold and windy outside, but my kidnapper didn't seem to mind. I shuddered as the icy wind blew violently in my face. He laughed darkly at me then said, "Are you cold?" I was sure he knew the answer to that. I shot him a glare and looked into his cold eyes. He seemed amused at my sudden anger, but I ignored it. "Don't worry, doll. They'll be here soon. You won't have to wait much longer." He shot me a charming smile, but I was disgusted. _Doll?_

After what seemed like forever, I saw a blur flash by me and stop abruptly in front of my kidnapper. It was a werewolf; one I didn't recognize. It was smaller than Jacob - much smaller, but I couldn't make out anything more than its silhouette.

"I'm so glad you could make it," the vampire said cheerfully to the calm werewolf. "I was afraid you were going to bail on me again." He pouted. The thin werewolf stood at his heels, motionless, barely listening to him at all. "Could you please take Bella to the hideout we discussed? I'm pretty sure she will be safe there." He turned and looked at me sitting quietly on the ground. "Once your there, tie her up, and report back to me. You know where I'll be." The werewolf nodded and scooped me in its furry arms. Its strong embrace was oddly comforting. For some strange reason, I didn't believe this creature had any intention to hurt me.

We raced through the forest for a good while, until the werewolf came to a stop in front of a wooden door. There were thick branches tangled together over it. Even in the light, I would have missed it if I was any further away. Although, I wasn't sure what a wooden door was doing in the forest.

My second kidnapper placed me beside them and opened the door easily. I didn't follow it when it entered, but it grabbed my arm and dragged me along with it. Its big paws patted the walls, searching for something in the dark room. Then, a light flicked to life, and I noticed that the werewolf that escorted me here was a shimmery, light grey.

In the room had a small couch and a thin bookshelf that held about twenty-five books. The floor was conrete, but it had a small, worn out rug in the center, and a short, coffee table stood unevenly in front of the couch. Next to the bookshelf was a thin door that must have led to another small room like this one.

I didn't move into the room, afraid that the slightest movement might upset the silent creature. It turned to me quickly and dragged me to the couch. It shoved me on my back and stared down at me, its eyes showing no sign of emotion. It reached for my face, and I instinctively winced away from the dangerous claws, but they only gentlely removed the duck tape from my mouth. I automatically gasped for breath, happy that I could use my mouth again.

"Thank you," I muttered in between each deep breath. It then turned me on my stomach and untaped my wrists as well, then flipped me back over. It looked at me with a blank expression, almost as though it was in a trance. It turned away and vanished through the door, shutting it quietly behind itself.

"Wait!" I called after it, but it was too late. I wanted to know why I was here. What did they want with me? What could _I_ have that could possibly help them?

I got up shakily from the couch. I was still a little shaken and unstable. I thought briefly of trying to flee from the small room, but I had no idea which way to get back. For all I knew, I was lost in the woods of up state Washington, miles from Forks. It could take me hours on foot, and by that time, they'd find me anyway. I decided it was better to await the return of my kidnapper in the tight room.

I walked back to the couch and cried myself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

I'm soooooo sorry I haven't updated this in forever. I've been so busy lately. Juggling three sports, homework, chores and friends hasn't given me a lot of time to work on the stuff I actually want to do. I hope I haven't completely lost the interest of the people who have read my story! Please enjoy this chapter and I'll try to get the next one in soon. :]

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JPOV

I slowly regained consciousness on the deflated couch. The basketball game I had flipped on earlier was now a poker game. According to the clock, I was asleep for a good four hours.

I looked over to where Bella was sitting on the couch, but her spot was empty. "Bella?" I called out. No response. "Bella?" I shouted again. Still, nothing. _Uh oh. _

I sprang from the couch and ran down the hall. I knocked on the bathroom door. Nothing. _Crap._ "Bella!" I screamed.

I ran out the back door and cupped my hands around my mouth. "BELLA!" I boomed. My voice echoed through the treetops of the forest. Again, nothing.

I ran my hands through hair, worried. _Edward is going to be so pissed_, I thought.

I went back inside and picked up the phone. I dialed the Cullen's home number, tapping my finger impatiently on the counter as the phone rang. Hopefully, Bella just went home, or to their house at least.

It only took one and a half rings until Carlisle answered the phone. "Hello?" his calm voice said.

"Hi, it's Jacob Black. Is Edward there? It's urgent," I said hurriedly.

"Oh, certainly," Carlisle was surprised. "One moment."

I waited, impatiently. "Hello, Jacob. What is it?" Edward sounded annoyed.

"Is Bella with you?" I asked, doubtfully.

"No, she's supposed to be with you," Edward pointed out.

"Yeah, I know that but-" I started to explain, but he cut me off.

"Jacob, where's Bella?" he demanded.

"I'm not sure. I woke up and she was gone," I admitted.

"Did she leave a note? Maybe she went back home," Edward suggested, sounding extremely worried.

"Um, hold on," I said, placing the receiver face down on the counter. I looked frantically on the counter, on the floor of the kitchen, on the couch, on the coffee table - nothing. I grabbed the phone again and said, "Nope, no note. Should I call Charlie?"

"No, I will," Edward offered. "I wouldn't want you getting him worried, too. I'll handle it."

"Listen, it's not-"

"Jacob, please," he cut in. "Save your breath. It's better if we just find Bella and skip all the fighting." He hung up.

I slammed the receiver into its holder and started looking around for any sign of her. Maybe she did leave a note, or maybe she left something behind that I could use to find her.

In the living room, I noticed her raincoat was still hanging on the coat rack. _That's weird. Why would she leave without her coat?_

The phone rang again. I jumped on it before it was done the first rang. "Hello?" I gasped into the phone.

"Charlie said he hasn't seen her since I took her to your place," Edward explained.

"Crap," I whispered, but I was sure he could hear it.

"Look, Jacob," Edward said after a moment's silence, "I'm coming over to your place. I don't give a damn about the border, Bella's the main priority right now." Before I could even open my mouth to protest, he hung up again.

I waited eagerly in the kitchen for him to show up. He was there in half the amount of time Bella would be in her dinosaur truck.

I swung the door open when I heard his car door shut. He walked past me, barely acknowledging my exsistence. He stormed into the living room, trying to pick up scents.

"Another vampire has been here," Edward said, still not looking at me. He continued his work.

"I didn't notice it was a different vampire. I thought it was just the smell of your family lingering on Bella," I noted aloud. He shook his head, crinkling his nose. "What?" I asked.

"There was a werewolf here, too," Edward stated, finally looking at me.

I stared at him with enormous eyes. "One of us was here, too?" I asked, confused. He gave one sharp nod.

"But they didn't come in here," he informed me. "Only the vampire did."

"Stupid blood-"

"Jacob."

"Sorry," I said. "Force of habit." He glared at me.

"Focus," he said. "We need to find Bella before she gets hurt."

"Yeah," I agreed. I wasn't too keen on taking orders from a parasite, but we did share a common interest - Bella.

"What do you know?" Edward asked. "I've only been here a few minutes, and I already seem to know more than you."

I sighed. "Well, not much," I admitted.

"Great," he mouthed sarcastically. "I thought you might be at least somewhat helpful." I growled at him through clenched teeth.

"Watch it," I warned him.

He rolled his eyes at me. "You wouldn't hurt me because you know it would hurt Bella," he stated. I hated to admit it, but he was right. I sighed in defeat. The smug smile I expected to appear on his face never showed. Instead, it was blank, but his eyes held pain and worry.

He quickly began looking around again. He followed a scent into the hallway, and I was at his heels in less than a second. "Here, this is where they were."

"Yeah, yeah, I smell it," I said. I made a gagging noise. "Gross. You bloodsuckers smell awful."

He ignored me and continued working. I helped him this time. I started down on my hands and knees, searching the floor. Maybe Bella's kidnapper dropped something.

I noticed a piece of paper sticking out from under the rug. "Edward! Look!" He knelt beside me and snatched the paper before I could move my hand. It turned out to be an envelope.

"It says my name," he whispered to himself. I saw the pain in his eyes spread across his face.

He closed his eyes and regained composure. When his eyes opened, he easily sliced his pale finger under the flap. He pulled out a picture that I didn't get to see. On the back though, there was a note written in tiny, cursive letters.

He was frozen, staring at it. "What is it?" I asked him curiously.

"It's Bella," Edward said, not taking his eyes off the picture. "And she's with Alice."

"Let me see," I demanded, tugging it from his firm grip. The picture had what he described. Bella sat in a chair, giving her usual half-smile, and Alice sat next to her with her arm wrapped securely around Bella's shoulders. Alice was smiling hugely in the picture. "Huh. What does this mean, and where did they get it?" I asked.

"I don't know," he said. I heard him heave a sigh.

"Oh, by the way," I said. "There's writing on the back."

He flipped it over with two fingers and began reading aloud, "Dearest Edward, I'm sure you're wondering where your love, Bella, is? Not to worry, she's safe with me." I snorted to myself, but he continued. "She's not hurt, I promise you, but unless you cooperate that could easily change. Am I clear? Good." A low growl rumbled from within his chest. "I'm going to need you to follow all the directions I give you. Some will come later, but for now, I will only give you one. The most important one: don't go looking for Bella. You, either Jacob. Edward, you and I both know that you aren't the best tracker, so know that if you do choose to look for her, it won't be long until I find you. Unfortunately, Bella would be the one to pay for that little mishap, but I'm sure you wouldn't let that happen. Would you?" Edward groaned softly and finished the letter in a whisper, "Yours truly, Nicholas."

There was a long pause, and then I asked, "Well, what do we do now?"

He didn't look up from the picture when he answered. "I have to tell Carlisle. He'll know what to do." His face was smooth and expressionless as he strode over to the phone. Seconds later, Edward called my name. "Jacob?"

I sprang to my feet immediately. "What?"

"Carlisle wants to talk to us in person. It will be easier to discuss at our place," he explained. His voice was strained and his eyes were a deep black that held an emotion far beyond sadness. There wasn't even a name for what he was going through. There was no doubt that he loved her. "Let's go. We can take my car."

I didn't question his demands. As much as I didn't want to go into a house full of disgusting vampires, I knew it was the only way to get Bella back. That was all that mattered at this point; that was all that mattered ever.


	4. Chapter 4

EPOV

Jacob didn't say a single word on our way to the house, but his thoughts were racing. He went over a million different scenarios that could have harmed Bella, and a million more of ways he could destroy Nicholas. It was hard to concentrate on my own thoughts with his ringing in my ear.

When I pulled in the driveway, there was a car parked just outside the garage that I didn't recognize. I tried to focus on the thoughts of the people in the house, and I noticed Siobhan's thoughts in the background of everyone else's. _What was Siobhan doing here?_

Carlisle had the front door open for us before we reached the steps. He greeted Jacob politely, and Jacob grinned sheepishly in return.

"Hello, Siobhan. It's good to see you again," I said with half-hearted enthusiasm when I entered the house. "What brings you here today?"

"Hello, Edward," she said, realizing my mood. "It's great to see you, too. I was actually just stopping in to say hello to my friend, Carlisle. Liam and Maggie are on an exclusive hunting trip in southern Canada."

"How nice." I tried to sound happy, but I didn't fool anyone. My eyes must have been too pained - that's what normally gave me away. "It's always a pleasure to have you here."

There was a long pause. "Thank you." Another pause. "I'm sorry, Edward," Siobhan whispered. "I know it's not a good time, but maybe there's something I could do to help?" I just smiled weakly, pretending I didn't hear her question.

"Why don't we talk in the dining room?" Carlisle suggested as he led Jacob and I away from the front room. When we were further away from the rest of my family, he asked, "Did you bring the note?"

"Yes," I sighed, withdrawing the picture from my pants pocket. I handed it to him and sat down. Jacob didn't hesitate to invite himself to the table as well.

He read the note silently to himself, while sitting across from me at the table. "I don't believe I have ever heard of this man before," Carlisle admitted, looking up from the picture. "Have you?"

"No, I haven't," I said in the calmest tone I could manage.

"I would guess that he's a nomad," Carlisle offered, "or else he would have told us of his acquaintances."

"When I was over Jacob's, I could smell another wolf had been there," I informed him. "It wasn't a scent I knew."

He pondered that briefly, and the rest of the family and Siobhan joined us. "Who, Carlisle?" Siobhan asked, unintentionally ignoring Edward's remark. Carlisle handed her the photo, and she quickly read the note on the back. She whispered the last part to herself, "Yours truly, Nicholas."

I listened to her thoughts intently, as she unraveled who this Nicholas was. A man with curly, dark brown hair, brilliant red eyes, and a disturbing smile flashed through her mind. She froze and dropped the picture on the table in front of Carlisle. "Nicholas . . ." she repeated quietly, fear behind her voice.

"What is it?" Carlisle asked, glancing in my direction, then looking back to her.

She sat down next to him, but her eyes were completely glazed over. I tried to listen to her thoughts, but she kept them limited. She only showed me one image of him standing over her, giving her orders, yet maintaining a charming smile. She seemed to be in some sort of unbreakable trance, mesmerized by him.

"In the mid eighteen hundreds, before I found Liam or Maggie, I was by myself. I traveled alone; a nomad, as you call it," she started, seeming to be talking more to herself than anyone else. "My creator abandoned me in my early years when she found her mate. I ended up roaming the coasts of Ireland in search of other vampires like myself. I knew they existed somewhere but I didn't know where to find them.

"On one of my hunting excursions, Nicholas found me." She looked at Carlisle with unease. I could tell this was the part of the story she wanted to avoid. She started again in a second's time. "When I had finished with my prey, he came out and introduced himself to me. He told me that he was watching me - not just my hunting, but my way of life. He said he had watched me for a few months, and thought I could be some help to him. He said he appreciated my composure." She took a deep breath. "I hadn't a clue what he was talking about. I was curious what he needed help with and how I could possibly be of assistance. But before I could even open my mouth to ask him, an inexplicable feeling washed over me." She grimaced at the memory that she played back in her head, and I did the same when I saw her helpless face as she willingly followed his every command. Our eyes met for the briefest moment. _Sorry_, she thought. _I didn't want to show you this._

She looked back at Carlisle and continued, "He had complete control over my mind. He made it so every thought in my head was about him, and everything I did was in an attempt to please him. I was completely dependent upon him, and yet, at the same time, I found myself utterly grateful and so lucky to be in his presence.

"I was his slave. If he ordered me to do something, I did it without question. I couldn't help it; he was my life." She shook her head, and looked down at her hands. "The worst part was that I believed I was doing everything for love. Underneath the helplessness, he made me think he loved me and that I loved him back . . ." She trailed off, still looking at her hands. Nobody spoke, but each individual was imagining themselves in her postion.

"I'm so sorry," Carlisle whispered. "I apologize for making you relive these awful memories."

She looked up and smiled at him thankfully. I heard her heave a sigh, and then she continued once more. "When I was in my so called 'trance,' he sent me to lookout for any nomad vampires that had any special abilities. As hard as I tried, I wasn't very good at it, and I brought back a very small amount. None of them were actually talented at all, and he continuously rebuffed me for it.

"The vampires that had no special talents disappeared with him. He took them away into the forests and came back without them. One day, I asked him what he did with the ones I gave him, but he didn't answer. I assumed he killed them, even though they did nothing wrong.

"After about 30 years, he decided that I was getting him nowhere. He saw no promise that I had any special ability, and I had found him nobody else. He fled one evening, and I noticed the connection I felt with him lifted from my shoulders like a heavy weight. I can't even explain the amazing relief I felt when I suddenly had my freedom back." A genuine smile spread across her face. There was a long pause, indicating that the story had drawn to a close, yet nobody spoke.

She risked a glance at Carlisle's face, realizing he seemed slightly confused with her story. She guessed correctly what he was curious about and said, "I believe that he can warp your thoughts to revolve around him, however, it only works on females," she stated mainly to Carlisle, but was aware that everyone else was listening. "When I offered him male vampires, they didn't heel to his every need, like the females did." Carlisle nodded, and he thought briefly if Nicholas was manipulating Bella. I growled through barred teeth instinctively. Everyone's head snapped in my direction.

"No, I don't believe he could," Carlisle mused. "His gift seems to be something that only affects the mind. Bella's shield would ward him off, I'm sure of it." I relaxed a little at that thought, and so did the rest of the room. "So, tell us Siobhan - what should we do to get Bella back?" Carlisle asked.

She sighed. "I don't know, Carlisle," she admitted. "Nicholas can be very dangerous and he is rather smart. I'm sure he did his research about your family before dealing with them, which probably means he has back-up in case you decide to attack," she warned. "But I also know he won't mess with a large group unless there is something he wants from them. He isn't the kind to pick a fight just to fight. If I figure correctly, he probably wants your talented ones. Just like he wanted me to find for him." She tilted her head towards me, Alice, and Jasper.

"What would he want with us?" Jasper's tense voice asked from behind me.

Siobhan thought for a moment, fishing quickly through long forgotten memories. She remembered one where Nicholas had expressed his hate for the Volturi one night. I figured he must want talented vampires to revolt against them. I nodded to her, encouraging her to voice her idea. She shot me a wary glance, but spoke anyway. "There was one night I was with him and he briefly told me that he hated the Volturi. He hadn't mentioned to me why, but it seemed obvious to me that he was collecting vampires to turn against them."

Carlisle's eyes were wide, letting the new information sink in. "That would make sense," he said in a low, understanding voice. There was a short pause, then his head snapped in Alice's direction. "Alice, have you been able to see Bella at all?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I think he has put her in an environment with other werewolves to block my visions," she said in a soft, quiet voice. She was grieving to herself about losing her best friend, silently hoping she would see her again.

"Should we fight?" Emmett asked hopefully. The room was silent.

"No, Emmett," Carlisle answered. "We won't fight." Emmett groaned. "We'll find a way to get Bella back without violence. Siobhan, will you be staying much longer? We could always use an extra helping hand."

"I'm afraid I won't be staying, Carlisle," she admitted. "I should actually get going soon."

"Why such a hurry?"

She paused again, and then suddenly she was very serious. "I was lucky to have escaped Nicholas the first time, and I don't want our paths to cross again. You'll have to go without me for this one."

He nodded, understanding her fear. The room fell into another deep silence, and I focused on draining out the rush of thoughts that floated in my head. It was enough to deal with my own grief and sorrow, so listening in on Siobhan's and Alice's wasn't helping. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. For the first time since I thought Bella had killed herself, I felt like was going to cry. If my body would allow it, I certainly would have.

A dull, aching pain came from deep within my chest - right where my heart should be. It almost felt like there was a hole, like a piece of me was missing - my other half. I knew where it was, and it only made my chest ache more as I thought more about it. Bella was my life, my reason for existence. I couldn't survive without her, no matter how far the distance. I needed her in my arms.

I heard Jasper groan uneasily. I looked up to see his anguished eyes staring at me. It took me a second to realize that his eyes weren't really anguished. They were simply mirroring mine, taking in every sorrowful emotion that I was giving off. _I'm sorry_, he said sincerely. _I know how much this hurts. _

I felt a sudden pang of sympathy. Of course he knew. I sighed morosely.

I couldn't take this any longer, I had to do something. But what? I couldn't track her, he would find me too quickly. Could I have someone else track her for me? Anyone would be better at it then I was.

Or maybe we should attack. How many could he have with him? It couldn't be enough to ward us off. At least not easily.

Jasper picked up on my sudden jolt of hope, and his eyes brightened sightly. _What? _he asked, confused. I glanced up at him but didn't answer. Instead, I spoke to Siobhan. "Well, if you must go, best wishes to you and your coven," I said as convincingly as I could. She bought it easily, merely content that I didn't argue the matter further.

"Thank you, Edward," she whispered with a smile. "Best of wishes to you as well." I nodded with a charming grin.

She rose from her seat swiftly, keeping her eyes on me, however, she spoke to Carlisle. "Goodbye, Carlisle. I hope to see you again soon, and with Bella back in your family." She diverted her glance toward him, and he stood up to lead her to the door.

"Thank you, Siobhan," Carlisle said calmly.

"Goodbye, everyone," Siobhan said, waving politely to the group. They tired unsuccessfully to looked thankful, but she didn't seem to notice.

"Oh, wait, Siobhan?"

"Yes, Carlisle?"

"I was just wondering if you would picture us getting Bella back peacefully?" It sounded like a question.

She smiled at him, still amused that he believed she could predict outcomes of certain scenarios. "Of course, Carlisle," she agreed with a hint of teasing in her tone. But then she turned serious again. "It's the least I can do." She sighed and closed her eyes, gently pressing her fingertips to her temples.

We all watched her, waiting. After a few seconds, she regained awareness of her surroundings, and smiled sweetly again. "All done."

"Thank you, again," Carlisle said, and with that, she loped lithely out the door. It was surprising the way her enormous frame was so incredibly graceful.

When Siobhan had pulled quietly from our driveway, and was a good ways gone, Emmett asked, "What do we do now?"

I was the quickest to answer. "We fight, Emmett," I assured him. "I need Bella back. _Now_."

Nobody thought about protesting me aloud, but Carlisle was unhappy. _Can't we be civilized and get her back peacefully? _He asked hopefully.

I shook my head and responded, "That will take too long." I sighed and in a more pleading voice this time said, "I need her, Carlisle. _Please_. Don't make me wait."

His face was pained - the thing he hated most was violence._ If we refuse, will you go anyway? _He asked, although he already knew the answer. I nodded, confirming his fear.

He sighed again and looked at each member of our family, - including Jacob - then back at me. "I guess we must fight, then."

Emmett smiled darkly. "Yes!" he whispered, excitedly. "When?"

"Soon, Emmett," I said. "Soon."


	5. Chapter 5

Jasper's POV

When the room was silent, Alice and I quickly left and headed to the front room. As much as I felt sorry for Edward, I couldn't take the emotions he was giving off. I had to get away for a minute.

I sighed, took a deep breath, and closed my eyes, trying to understand everything that had gone on today. The first was obivious - Bella had been kidnapped. The second was a little harder to grasp - she had been kidnapped by some female-mind controlling lunatic who went around searching for gifted vampires. That probably meant me and Alice. And lastly, Edward was going to ask us to fight with him to get her back...

Alice quickly picked up on my mood. "What's wrong?" she asked.

I sighed again and opened my eyes to look at her. "I'm worried about you," I admitted.

She snorted. "Me? Are you kidding?" She laughed without humor. "If you're worrying, you should be worrying about Bella. She's the one who was kiddnapped."

"I know, I know, but weren't you listening to Siobhan?" I asked. She just stared at me, waiting for me to elaborate. I sighed again. "He's coming to get us, and Edward, too."

"Yes, and?" she said with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, I'm worried that he'll find you and use his power on you. If he does, I don't think I'll be able to stop him," my voice was strained, yet she just rolled her eyes. In a way, it was frustrating.

"I know you'll protect me," she said confidently. "I trust you, and I love you." She smiled sweetly.

I couldn't help but smile back, but then I was serious again. "Alice, you can't _know_ anything. He's blocking your visions, remember?"

She frowned. "Of course, I rememer," she through clenched teeth. She blinked twice and spoke again. "Jasper, I'll be fine. Please don't worry about me. I can take care of myself." She flashed her dazzling white teeth at me, and then she bounced up on her toes to peck me on the cheek. "I'm going to go upstairs and pick out my outfit for tomorrow. Would you like to join me?"

I smiled weakly back and replied, "As much as you know I'd love to, I already promised Emmett I would go hunting with him tonight."

"Okay, love you," she reminded me.

"I love you, too." She rapped her arms around my neck and kissed me passionately for a long moment. The tension in the kiss frightened me. I could feel her worry, too, gently waving off of her skin. It was subtle, but very much present. However, she wasn't worried about her safety like I was. She was still upset about Bella, her best friend. She did do a phenomenal job of hiding it on the outside, but she couldn't hide her grief from me.

The short moment we shared reminded me vaguely of a goodbye scene from a movie. I hoped that wasn't what it was. I planned on spending eternity with her, and I wasn't going to let anyone stand in the way of that.

Before I wanted her to, Alice pulled away, and smiled at me one more time. "Have fun," she said, then flitted up the stairs swiftly.

Emmett marched into the room a second later with an enormous grin spread across his face. "Hey, Jazz," he greeted me.

"Hey, Emmett." I sighed, looking at the clean white carpet on the floor.

His eyes narrowed as he guessed my mood. "What?"

"It's Alice," I said quietly. "I'm afraid I won't be able to protect her if Nicholas tries to get a hold of her."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Well, Alice can take care of herself, Jazz," Emmett assured me. "And also, she loves you, and only you. You won't have to worry about her falling in love with anyone else." He winked at me.

"You don't know that." I frowned to myself at the de-ja-vu.

"Well, no," he admitted, "but I doubt it will happen. She does love you lots."

I sighed, and nodded, looking at the ground again. "Yeah, I love her, too. I hope she knows that."

"Now I _know_ she knows that," Emmett said, laughter in his voice. I laughed with him easily. Obvisiously, there was hope that Alice would be safe, and I tried very hard to dwell on that thought. If she could believe it, I could, too.

"So," Emmett said, interupting my thoughts. "You ready?" His grin spread wider, if that was even possible.

"Oh, yes," I said, a growl laced into my voice. "I've been craving grizzly for a while now."

We laughed again and raced into the woods behind our house. It felt like I was running from my worries and escaping from life. I didn't have to focus on anything now, I could just let my instincts carry me through the forest - no thought required.

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**Hey, thanks for reading! This chapter was meant to be short, just to prepare you for what's coming later. The next one is more suspenseful and I should have it updated soon enough. Please, please, please review! It's much appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Again, I don't mean this as an excuse, but I'm sorry I haven't updated in awhile, I've been busy. Please review, and of course, I don't own Twilight**.

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EmPOV

Of course, I felt sorry for Edward, how could I not be? Bella was his life, anyone could see that; even me. When I thought I couldn't understand how he was feeling, I tried picturing my life without Rose. Unbearable.

I wanted to help him, and the way I saw it, the only way I could do that was to kick that Nicholas jerk's ass. Once he was gone, getting Bella would be a piece of cake. It seemed simple and easy enough. If only I could get my hands on him...

Jasper and I ran through the thick, sheeting rain in silence. He didn't seem to mind, so I pretended I didn't either. Normally, I would have filled every second we were together with chatter about something he didn't care to listen to, just to make him angry. But today wasn't the day for that. I figured I could give him some time to his own thoughts - let them run their course of worrying. I could go a half hour without being a nuisance. Probably.

Without much thought, we auto-pilotted directly to my favorite cave where a large family of grizzly bears resided. Our family doesn't come here that often because grizzlies aren't exactly the most abundant animal in the forest. I'd say elk are probably the most common thing in their diet, but more ofter then not, I feast happily on bears.

I heard the deep snoring and slopping sound of two large grizzlies' hearts pounding deep within the cave. Yum. Vemon pooled in my mouth, and I closed my eyes, letting my instincts take over. A low growl erupted in my chest and the thick snoring stopped. I must have awoken him. To my right, Jasper did the same.

"One, two..." I whispered quietly.

"Three!" He finished, leaping lithely inside. I followed him with one large bound that carried me the length of the dark enclosure.

My nose directed me the rest of the way, leading me right to the biggest one of the group. It didn't put up much of a fight, it only crouched on all fours while I backed it quickly into a corner. I pounced lightly onto its back and sank my pearly white teeth into its fury neck. It let out a blood curdling shriek that echoed shrilly along the cave walls. It snarled and whimpered but as I drained its veins, the noise level went down until there was complete silence from the limp animal. From a little ways away, I saw Jasper let his lifeless bear fall quietly to the rocky floor. Without looking at me, he walked at a human's pace to my side - a product of years of practice. I sat down against the damp, moss-covered wall.

"I'm worried about Edward," I said in a huff.

"We all are," Jasper pointed out.

"Yeah, I know, but there isn't anything I can do to help really," I admitted. It was true; I didn't have any special power that I could offer like he, Alice or Edward could.

Jasper rolled his eyes. "You're stronger than all of us combined," he assured me.

My booming laugh filled the humid air. "Yeah, that's about it." I crawled away from the wall and sprawled out on my back, gazing aimlessly at the dripping ceiling. I noticed a white rectangle that resembled an envelope sticking weakly to it. My forehead puckered in curiousity. It had my name written in little, black cursive letters across it.

I jumped up and reached to the roof, snatching the flimsy paper in my hand. Jasper watched suspiciously. "What is it?" he asked.

"I don't know," I replied. "But, it has my name on it." I flipped it over in a fraction of a second and ripped it open, careful not to tear the object inside. I pulled a letter out that was in small print. "It's a letter."

"What does it say?"

I took a deep breath and read aloud, "Dear Emmett, How are you? How's Rosalie? Has she gotten over the fact that vampires can't have children yet?" A growl escaped my throat. That had been a little uncalled for. Whoever wrote this had it coming. Over my better judgement, I continued. "Too bad, I know. I can't imagine how she feels. But if she ever wants to try again, I'm always up for the job." A louder growl came from within me. They had gone too far. My anger started to build up, and I handed Jasper the note. He felt my anger and suddenly sent a wave of calmness over me. "You read it." I ordered, not making eye contact.

Jasper looked at me warily, but did what I told him to. "And hello, Jasper. How are you? And the lovely Alice? How have her visions been working out? Not so good? That's what I figured." Jasper paused and closed his eyes. He inhaled through his nose and exhaled heavily out his mouth. When he regained his composure, he continued. "Anyway, I'm quessing that you're ready to fight me, Emmett, is that right?"

It suddenly hit me that the writer was the dickhead Nicholas. "How does he know?!" I asked, even though I knew he didn't have the answer. Jasper looked up at me but didn't say a word.

He returned his gaze to the note and continued. "Well, just know that I will be ready when you are," he read. "Your family might stand with you, but do you really think Edward will fight if Bella's in danger? Or how about you, Emmett? Jasper? Would you fight if Rosalie or Alice were going to die because of it? I would certainly hope not. However, if you choose to fight, I'm always up for the challenge. Yours truly, Nicholas. P.S. The letter on the back is for Alice." Jasper flipped it over, checking to see if there was another letter, but didn't read it. He looked up at me again and said, "We should go."

I nodded and took off at full speed through the forest. The rain had stopped, and I could hear the birds chirping merrily in the treetops. It was ironic that they chose today of all days to sing to one another.

Jasper was close on my heels as we approached the house. Alice was sitting on the back porch waiting for us, her expression morose. It was almost like she knew what was coming. Wow, I'm stupid, of course she would know what was coming.

"Hey, Alice." I greeted her, quietly.

"Hey, Emmett." She stretched her hand out in front of her, wordlessly asking for the note, and I placed it in her hand. Ten bucks says she probably already knew what it said.

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